Refrigerating apparatus



INVENTOR. 15,915.:- M rficaas.

4 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS.

u an 3 J. W. JACOBS REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Flled Dec 29 1937 Oct. 7, l94l-- J. w. JACOBS REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 29, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 WU A X 2 w QN mN MN Ru INVENTOR. (fl {MES 14/. ll 16046.

l/l ATTORNEY 8 Get. 7, 1941. J, w, JACOB-S REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 29, 1957 qmmxa INVENTOR. fine-s M IZ-QCOJJ.

YWMMAM Ill-5 ATTORNEY 5 Patented Oct. 7, 1941 REFRIGERA'I ING APPARATUS James W. Jacobs, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Dayton, 01110, corporation of Delaware Application December 2?), 1937, Serial No. 182,295

2 Claims.

, This invention relates to freezing devices for liquids such as ice trays employed in mechanically refrigerated household refrigerator cabinets.

I am awar of the fact that others have, prior to 1m invention, provided an ice tray with a grid structure having single thickness substantially non-flexible walls certain of which are, movable relative to certain others thereof to break the bond between ice blocks in the grid and the grid walls to release ice from the structure. In these prior devices, the grid structure together with ice blocks bonded thereto are ordinarily entirely removed from the ice tray before the certain walls of the grid structure can be moved relative to other walls thereof. Such prior devices have not been entirely satisfactory because if all the ice blocks are not released from.

vide an improved grid construction adapted to be disposed in an ice tray of a freezing device for dividing the tray into a plurality of ice block compartments or cells and a novel method of breaking the bond between ice blocks and the tray and grid without application of artificial heat to facilitate removal of the ice blocks from the freezing device.

Another object of my invention is to provide a freezing device comprising a metal tray and a grid therein having movable single thickness substantially non-flexible metallic walls in which several or all ice blocks will be broken loose from the tray and grid and elevated relative to the grid to permit harvesting of the ice blocks from the freezing device without removing the grid structure from the tray.

In accomplishing the preceding object, it is a further object of my invention to provide a structure wherein ice blocks are broken loose from the tray and wherein provisions are made to break the -ice,blocks loose from the grid progressively from one end to the other of the structure to thereby loosen certain ice blocks for removal from the grid while other ice blocks may be permitted to remain bonded to the grid.

the top of the grid structure.

binations of parts of which, as more fully become apparent from the following description, will present other and more specific objects and advantages.

Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings wherein preferred forms of the present invention are clearly shown and wherein similar numerals throughout the several figures indicate like parts.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of an ice tray having a grid therein and providing one form of freezing device constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the devlcedisclosed in Fig. 1 and taken on the-line 2-2 thereof showing parts of the device in their normal freezing position; I

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 and shows ice frozen within the device adhering to the grid which is elevated relative to the tray;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 and shows certain of the grid walls moved relative to other walls thereof to loosen ice blocks from the grid and showing, the loosened ice blocks elevated relative to the grid;

Fig. 5 is a view of the freezing device after all ice blocks have been loosened from walls of the grid and elevated relative to the grid and the.

tray in which the grid is located;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2; v

Fig. '7 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 11 of Fig. 1 showing the interlocking of walls of th grid and the association therewith of means for elevating ice blocks relative to the grid structure;

Fig; 8 is a top plan view of an ice tray having a grid therein and providing a. modified form of freezing device in which the grid structure is Fig. 9 is a side view of the device disclosed in Fig. 8 and is taken on the line 99 thereof;

Fig. 10 is a vertical sectional view of the device'disclosed in Figs. 8 and 9 and is taken on the line lO-IO of Fig. 9; and

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 5 of the modifled device showing same in an ice block releasing position with the ice blocks elevated above In order to illustrate the.present invention, I

have shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings a freezing device comprising a metal tray I2 and a. metallic grid structure I3 positioned therein and which device is adapted to be placed in or on a freezing support of a cooling element or evaporator of a refrigerating system to cause freezing of water in the device by the refrigerating effect produced by the evaporator. Metal tray I2 has side walls I4 (see Fig. 6) and opposed end walls I5 and I6. Walls I4 and I6 of tray I2 converge outwardly a slight distance from the bottom to the top of the tray. The back wall I5 of tray I2 is converged outwardly toward the top of the tray a greater distance than other walls thereof for a purpose which will become apparent here-' inafter. The walls I4, I5 and I6 have their top edge rolled-over to form a rim I1 which extends continuously around the tray to increase the structural strength of same. The metal of tray I2 is extended downwardly from rim I1, as at I8, at the front of the tray to provide a mounting for a. heavy metal piece I9 which has a handle 2I pivoted thereto as at 22. The handle 2| on tray I2 facilitates the placing of the freez-,

ing device in or on its freezing support and a cam surface 23 provided on the handle 2|, upon being actuated by movement of the handle,

21 each receive a web portion 33 (see Fig. 7) of the transverse walls 28. between the web portions 3| and 33 thereof for receiving the walls 26 and 21 which extend through the transverse walls. The upper open ends of slots 29 provided in wall 26 of grid I3 are progressively wider from the rear end to the front end of the freezing device for a purpose to become apparent in the description of operation of the device. -Walls 26, 21 and 28 are movably interlocked together in the manner shown and described to provide the unitarygrid structure I3. The lower wall 21 of the longitudinal dividing member has an upwardly directed ear 35 which is bent, as at 36, out of the vertical plane of horizontal extension of the end 31 of wall 26. A lever 38, having a handle end 39 and a finger end 4 I, is provided with a boss which is slotted, as at 42 (see Fig. 7), to form legs 43 and 44. A pin 45 is secured to the ear 35 of wall 21 and extends through the leg 44 of the boss formed on breaks the bond between the tray I2 and its supr viding member formed by walls 26 and 21 which are disposed one above the other in the samc vertical plane.- This longitudinal member obviously divides theinterior of tray I2 into a plurality of rows of the compartments 25. The other section of the grid I3 comprises a plurality of walls 28 which. extend transversely to and on opposite sides of the longitudinal dividing member. It is'to be noted that the metal walls 26, 21 and 28 are of single thickness substantially non-flexible material and that the walls 28 are normally disposed at an angle to a line extended perpendicularly to the longitudinal extension of the grid structure I3 and arepreferably movable relative to the longitudinal member comprising the walls 26 and 21 out of their normalangled position. This angled disposition of the transverse walls 28 forms compartments that are of a parallelogram form in at least one direction of cross section therethrough and has, as I am aware, formed the subject matter of prior inventions and is employed in the present disclosure to provide a more nearly perfected freezing device.

In order to movably interlock the transverse grid walls 28 to the walls 26 and 21 of the longitudinal dividing member, I provide a plurality of slots 29 in the wall 26. The slots 29 extend downwardly from the top' edge of wall 26 and receive a. web portion 3| (see Fig. 7) 0f the transverse walls 28. Slots 28 are of slightly diiferent contour from one end to the other end of the grid structure for a purpose to be presently described. A plurality of slots 32 similarly shaped and extending upwardly from the bottom edge of wall lever 38. A pin 46 is secured to the leg 43 and extends into a substantially vertically disposed slot 41 provided in the end portion 31 of wall 26.

wall 26 to be moved lengthwise of wall 21 by thelever 38 to cause'movement of walls 28 as will be described hereinafter. Lower wall 21 of the longitudinal member of grid I3 has a plurality of angularly disposed slots 52 which are parallel to one another and elongated to extend upwardly in this wall. The openings 5| receivea squared shank portion 53 of studs 54. A plurality of vertical metal members 55 are located on each side of the longitudinal dividing member formed by the walls 26 and 21. The members 55 extend from the top edge of the grid I3 downwardly to the bottom edge thereof and have their lower portion bent outwardly to provide the fingers 56. A vertical slot 51 provided in each member 55 receives the squared shank portion 53 of studs 54 and the enlarged heads of thestuds 54 secure the members 55 to the longitudinal wall 26. A stud 58 extends through each opposed pair of members 55 at the lower part thereof and the round shank portion 59 of these studs is slidably positioned within the slot 52. The enlarged heads formed on studs 58 secure the lower-most portions of members 55 to the longitudinal wall 21. It is apparent,'therefore, that all the parts comprising the grid I3 are secured together to form a unitary structure wherein the various parts are movable relative to one another. It will also be apparent that the normal angled disposition of the transverse walls 28 provides the ice block compartments 25 with a vertical cross-sectional contour or area, taken on the'line 2-2 of Fig. 1, which is in the form of a parallelogram. Consequently, the ice blocks frozen within the freezing device will also be in the form of a parallelogram. Due to the normal angled disposition of the walls 28 of grid I3 to form the compartment shape described, movement or tilting of the walls 28 relative to walls 26 and 21 out vof their normal acute angled position into a substantially vertical Walls 28 are cut out within the rectangular slot position will change -the contour or cross-secmanner to be hereinaftermore fully described for causing ice blocks to be elevated relative to grid l8 into a position where they may be grasped by ice tongs and removed from the freezing de-' vice. r

Assume that water has been frozen in the freez-1 ing device in the form of ice blocks and these blocks are bonded to the walls of the trayl2 and to walls of the grid I 3 and it is desired to harvest the ice blocks from the device. the freezing device from its support, in or on an.

evaporator of a refrigerating system, the handle end 89 of lever 38 is elevated to pivot the lever within slot 51 of members 55 prevents rotation or pivoting of the members 55 about stud- 54v the -horizontal force applied to members 55 causes After removing about pin 45 and to cause the finger end 4| of this initial movement does not applyiorce to movable portions of thegrid l3 and consequently does not as yet move walls thereof. However,

continued movement of lever 38 beyond this initial movement thereof and in the same direction of rotation about pin causes pin 48 to engage and apply force to the wall of slot 41 to move the grid wall 25 lengthwise of wall 21. This lengthwise movement of wall 28 relative to wall 21 of the longitudinal dividing member causes the right hand wall of the slot 28'as viewed in Figs. 2 and 4, nearest the lever end of the grid l 3, to engage the web portion 3| of the end transverse wall 28 to thereby tilt wall 28 out of its normal acute angled position. Tilting of the 'end transverse wall 28 of grid l3 tends to compress the ice blocks in the compartments 25 adjacent of tray wall l5, these end blocks will be cammed upwardly of the grid. Since the transverse walls 28 are preferably progressively moved, by virtue of the progressively increased length of slots 29, the right hand surface of the first wall 28, as viewed in Fig. 4, will be pulled away from the ice blocks while the next to the end transverse wall them to move horizontally along with the grid wall 28. Movement of members along with wall 26 relative to wall 21 causes the rounded shank 59 of stud 58 to move upwardly within the inclined slot 52 provided in grid wall 21 (see Fig. 4). This upward movement of stud 58 thereby elevates members 55, by sliding the slots 51 therein upwardly around the shank 53 of stud 54, to cause the finger part 58 of the members 55 to I push the ice blocks above the top surface of the grid structure l3. It is, of course, to be understood that the tilting of the transverse walls 28 to enlarge the compartments 25 and lengthwise movement of walls 26 and 21 relative to-one another breaks the bond between the ice-and these walls to liberate "the ice blocks within the compartments 25 prior to elevation of members 55 to thereby permit the leg or finger part 55 of .members 55 to raise the liberated ice blocks. The

operations or movements described occur progressively from the lever end to the opposite end of the grid structure llupon further movement of lever 38 to cause a portion of all the ice blocks to be raised above the top of the grid I3. This final or continued position or movement of lever 38 and the movable grid walls is illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings'and 'it will be noted that the ice blocks are elevated relative to grid l3' into a position to permitthem to be grasped by the fingers of the operator orby ice tongs and harvested from the freezing device without 'removing the unitary grid member [3 from tray member l2. The progressive movement of walls 28 from one nd to the other end of the grid while not entir y essential reduces the force required I to actuate lever 38 and also permits any desired mal position shown in Fig. 2 causes all elements or walls of the grid structure I! to return to their the back wall l5 of tray l2 and, due to the slope 28 remains stationary. Therefore, the provision of a means for elevating the ice blocks adjacent the tray wall I5 is unnecessary since movement of the end wall 28 loosens the end blocks and also raises same above the top surface of grid l3. However, the distance between the two end transverse walls 28 being increased enlarges the sec.-

-ond' from the end pair of compartments 25 and to prevent the second pair of ice blocks from dropping to the bottom of tray I2, when thesecond from the end transverse wall 28 is tilted or moved, the function of the special means or members 55 comes into play. Upon continued movement of lever 88 to cause movement of the second from 5| of wall 28, and

'of grid Ila to move portions of the ice blocks normal position to thereby render the freezing device ready'to receive more water to again be frozen into blocks. This method of breaking ice blocks loose from a tray and grid of a freezing device, without removing the grid from the tray simplifies and greatly facilitates the operation of harvesting ice from such devices and eliminates dimculties in replacing the grid and ice blocks permitted to remain bonded thereto into the trayeafter several ice blocks only have been removed from the grid.

Referring now to Figs. 8, 9,- l0 and 11 of the drawings wherein there is shown a more simplifled form of freezing device to carry out the principle of my invention and wherein the tray [2 has a modified grid structure lia disposed therein, I have eliminated the use of the metal members 55. In this modified form of freezing device, the

-transverse walls 28a of grid l3a are fitted into the slots 29a and 82a provided in the walls 28a and 21a of the longitudinal dividing member in a manner similar to that described relative to the construction of grid IS. The grid l3a is, however, devoid of slots 5|, slots 52, members 55 and studs 54 a d 58 and the transverse walls 280 have the ice el vating fingers 55a formed integral therewith. In this form of the invention, the fingers 55a on walls 28a are moved relative to the grid, by movement of walls 280 out of their normal angled position, to pivot about the lower edge above the top surface of the grid. At least a portion of the ice blocks being above the grid'are sition, the integral fingers or legs 56a thereon are horizontally aligned with the bottom surface of grid l3a. Movement of walls 28a into a substantially vertical position, by the lengthwise sliding of grid wall 26a relative to wall 21a, pivots fingers or legs 56a about the narrow open end of slots 32a and the leverage of fingers or legs 56a acting against the under side of the ice blocks raises at least a portion of the blocks above the top surface of grid l3a.. It is to be noted thatthe slots 29a of'the grid structure 13a are not of progressively increased length relative to one another and that for this reason all ice blocks are simultaneously liberated from the walls of the enlarged compartments and are consequently all raised together relative to grid l3a.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that I have provided improved freezing devices which eliminate certain disadvantages in the use of prior devices and facilitate the harvesting of ice blocks from such devices. The improved freezing devices are of low cost, strong and durable, capable of being operatedwith a minimum of force and effective to loosen ice blocks from the tray and grid thereof, without removing the grid from the tray, and for elevating portions of the ice blocks above the grid and maintainingsame in this elevated position topermit removal of the blocks from the devices. The grid structureof the improved devices is of a single thickness wall type and these walls may-be waxed or otherwise treated to further cooperate with the normal angled disposition of certain walls which are moved or tilted to enlarge the ice compartments and loosen ice blocks therefrom. My present freezing devices employ an improved grid structure above the other in substantially the same vertical plane and a plurality of substantially inflexible partitions extending transversely to said longitudinal partition in spaced apart relation along the. length thereof, said partitions being movably interlocked together to provide a unitary grid structure forming walls of a plurality of ice blocl: compartments, said transverse partitions being normally inclined at an angle with respect to the vertical, one member of said two membered longitudinal partition being movable lengthwise of the other member thereof, means for moving said one member of said longitudinal partition lengthwise ofthe other member thereof, the interlocking of said transverse partitions with said longitudinal partition being such that said transverse partitions. are tilted toward the vertical upon movement of said one member lengthwise of the other member of said two membered longitudinal partition for liberating ice blocks from their compartment walls, and means associated with said grid structure constructed and arranged to be actuated by movement of certain of the movable elements of the grid for moving a portion of the liberated ice blocks upwardly a substantial dis tance above the top surface of the grid structure to facilitate harvesting of ice blocks therefrom.

2. A grid for disposition in a freezing tray comprising, a longitudinal partition'composed of two substantially inflexible members disposed one above the other in substantially the same verti- I cal planeand a plurality of substantially inflexible partitions extending transversely to said longitudinal partition in spaced apart relation along the length thereof, said partitions being movably interlocked together to provide a unitary grid structure forming walls of a plurality of ice block compartments, said transverse partitions being normally inclined at an angle with respect to the vertical, one member of said two membered longitudinal partition being movable lengthwise of the other member thereof, means for moving which has all the features of prior devices including the progressive movement of the transverse walls, a single lever for both elevating the grid relative to the tray and for moving or tilting certain walls of the grid relative to other walls thereof and the utilization of one of the wall portions of the grid for moving other walls to thereby eliminate the use of an additionaloperating shaft or rod.

While the forms of embodiments of the inventions as herein disclosed constitute preferred forms, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What isclaimed is as follows:

1. A grid *for disposition in a freezing tray comprising, a longitudinal partition composed of two substantially inflexible members disposed one said one member of said longitudinal partition lengthwise of the other member thereof, the interlocking of said transverse partitions with said longitudinal partition being such that said transverse partitions are progressively engaged by said one member and are tilted in succession toward the vertical upon movement of said one member lengthwise of the other member of said two membered longitudinal partition for liberating ice blocks from their compartment walls, and means associated with said grid structure constructed and arranged to be actuated by movement of certain of the movable elements of the grid for moving a portion of the liberated ice blocks upwardly a substantial distance above the top surface of the gridstructure to facilitate harvesting of ice blocks therefrom.

JAMES W. JACOBS. 

